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The OPTIMUM Prepaid Mastercard is very simple, but if you have any problems or questions, here’s everything you need to know about the card and how it all works.

About OPTIMUM

The OPTIMUM Prepaid Mastercard® isn’t a debit card, but it can be used in exactly the same way to shop online, by phone or in high street stores, at home or abroad. (If you have a restricted card you won’t be able to use it abroad.)

It’s a card that you load with money before you shop. If it’s running low you simply load more cash onto it, and you don’t need a bank account or a credit check to get one.

The Orange Cash programme was taken over by PrePay Technologies, the issuer behind the OPTIMUM programme, on 1st October 2015. Orange Cash customers transferring over to OPTIMUM can enjoy many of the same benefits and features they had on the Orange Cash programme. The key difference is that customers are not able to load their card in EE stores, and they are not able to collect Orange reward points on the programme. Customers can still load their cards at Post Office and PayPoint locations and via debit/credit card and bank transfer online or via the app.

Your account is now an OPTIMUM Contactless Prepaid Mastercard, issued by PrePay Technologies Ltd. Any balance on your old Orange Cash account will be automatically transferred to your new OPTIMUM account. You can use your new OPTIMUM card to shop in all the places where you used to use your Orange Cash card.

The key changes are that you will not be able to load your card at EE shops – although you will be able to load through the Optimum app and your Optimum online account, in the Post Office and anywhere you see the PayPoint logo. The Orange Cash Rewards Programme has also ended so you will not be able to collect reward points with your new OPTIMUM card. Please see the OPTIMUM Terms & conditions here for full details of all the changes.

No credit checks

It’s quick and simple for anyone to apply. It’s perfect if you don’t want, or can’t get, a credit or debit card.

No bank account required

It’s not tied to a bank account so you can keep funds completely separate. You can even have your wages transferred directly into your OPTIMUM account if you wish. See the How it works page for more details on this Load option.

Total control

You can only spend the money you’ve loaded onto your card so you don’t have to worry about going over budget.

Managing your money is even easier with the OPTIMUM online My Account and myoptimum card app. You can view your balance, load more cash, see your transactions, get balance notifications and set alerts to really keep on top of your spending.

Contactless & Chip and PIN technology

Your card is contactless, so when you’re buying on the high street you don’t need to spend time entering your PIN in stores that have contactless payment terminals. Simply tap your card for any amount up to £30 wherever you see the contactless symbol and you’ll be good to go. Your card also has Chip and PIN security which can be used for those payments over £30, or in stores which do not have contactless payment terminals.

Covered for loss and theft

You’re protected if you lose your card or it gets stolen, as long as you report it straight away. Just call us immediately on 0203 130 4913, and we’ll block others from using it. Alternatively go into the lost/stolen/damaged section in your OPTIMUM online account and complete the form. If you would like a replacement card, we’ll then transfer your balance onto it and get it sent out to you within 7 to 10 working days. A charge of £5 for the replacement card will be debited from your balance or when you next load.

We’re legally required to confirm your identity when we receive your application. As long as we can do this, you’ll receive a card that allows you to shop online and in the high street, as well as withdraw money from ATMs. The maximum balance you can have on the card at any one time is £5,000.

If we’re not able to fully confirm your identity, you may* receive a card that still lets you shop in the UK, but has a total spending limit of £3,000 a year (up to £1,000 of this can be withdrawn from ATMs). The single transaction limit is £600. If you’re happy with this, you don’t need to do a thing.

If you’d like to upgrade your card, we’ll need you to send us certain documents to confirm your identity. Please see the Details section of our Costs page for more information on upgrading your card.

Please note, if you’re given a card with a reduced spending limit and don’t want to go ahead, you can still change your mind. Contact us before activating your card, or within 14 days of activating it, and we’ll cancel your card and refund your £5 application fee, if applicable, and any remaining balance on the card.

*We can request identification at anytime before issuing you with a card.

Further ID may only be required if you receive a card with a reduced spending limit and wish to upgrade. However, we have the right to request for your ID at anytime. If you’d like to upgrade, we’ll need you to send us certain documents to confirm your identity. Please download the Upgrade form for more information on upgrading your card.

Please note, if you’re given a card with a reduced spending limit and don’t want to go ahead, you can still change your mind. Contact us anytime before activating your card, or within 14 days of activating it, and we’ll cancel your card and refund your £5 application fee if applicable and any remaining balance on the card.

By debit/credit card

Just click on the “APPLY” button on this page. You will then be asked to complete a simple online form, make a payment, and once accepted successfully your card will be sent out to you in the post within 7-10 working days.

Getting started

Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) is a 4 digit code you receive from us when you call us to activate your OPTIMUM card. You’ll be asked to enter this when withdrawing cash at ATMs and at Chip & PIN terminals when paying with OPTIMUM. Always keep your PIN secure and do not share with anyone.

Activate your card

We’ll give you a 4 digit PIN (Personal Identification Number) over the phone – just commit this to memory.

2. Register your card

Click here and follow the instructions. You will them be able to load and manage your account online.

3. Load it up and start shopping

You can load your card via the OPTIMUM app, or in the ‘top up account’ section of your online account, at a Post Office® branch or PayPoint outlet.

You can now start using your card, anywhere in the world wherever Mastercard® is accepted, on the high street, online and over the phone. (Remember, if you have a restricted card, your card will only work in the UK.

Loading money onto OPTIMUM

You may load your Card(s) up to a maximum balance of £5,000 per Account if you hold a Full Card and up to a maximum balance of 1,000 per month if you hold a Restricted Card.

Visit our Costs page to see the methods by which you can pay for and load up your Card.

If you opt to load your Card via the OPTIMUM App, you can:

(i) load your Card without having to re-enter your registered debit or credit card details, until such time that you choose to remove your registered payment details;

(ii) configure the OPTIMUM App to send a notification to advise you (a) when a load has been made to your Account; (b) when your Available Balance is low according to your set limits and; (c) to action a load on your Account. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate the right to load your Card at any time without notice.

If you’ve got your card, hand it over along with the money you want to put on it. The shop assistant will put your details into the PayPoint machine and the funds are immediately loaded onto your card.

* Business days are Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm UK time, not including UK Bank Holidays

Using your OPTIMUM card

You can use it just like you would a debit card and wherever you see the Mastercard® Acceptance Mark, in over 36 million places, in over 210 countries worldwide. Use it to shop safely online, by phone and on the high street. If you have a restricted card, you can only use it in the UK.

Yes, you can use your OPTIMUM card just like a debit card. You can withdraw money from ATMs (fees apply*). Remember that different limits apply, whether you’ve got a full or restricted card. Be sure to check the terms and conditions to see what your limits are.

* The cost of a cash withdrawal is 2.95% in the UK with an additional 2.75% added overseas.
** Some Merchants or ATMs may have lower limits.

If you have a card with a reduced spending limit, the maximum amount you can load and spend is set at £1,000 per month, with up to £600 in a single transaction. There will also be a limit of £1,000 in ATM withdrawals per year. Additional cards cannot be added to your account.

For cards with no spending limits, the maximum balance you can have on your card at any one time is £5,000. Up to 4 additional cards are allowed per account, but these must all be linked to one mobile phone number.

For both cards, the minimum load is £10 at a Post Office® branch and PayPoint outlet. The maximum you may load is £500 per transaction at a Post Office® branch, £499.99 per transaction at a PayPoint outlet. You can also load your card by debit or credit card through your online account or via the OPTIMUM app. The minimum you can load is £20 by debit or credit card up to a maximum of £500 per day.

You can withdraw up to £250* (£100 on restricted cards) each day out of ATM’s (fees apply**).

* Some Merchants or ATMs may have lower limits.
** The cost of a cash withdrawal is 2.95% in the UK with an additional 2.75% added overseas.

If you have a card with a reduced spending limit, it means that you are limited as to how much you can spend and load.

If you’d like to have up to a £5,000 balance on your card at any one time, with no limit as to what you can spend, all you need to do is apply for an upgrade.

To get the ball rolling, we’ll need to carry out a full identity check. To do this you’ll need to send just two documents, one item from list A and one from list B. You can download the lists and further information here. You will then need to send them with a covering note, specifying that you want us to upgrade your card, to:

To setup your online account, just click on the “LOGIN” button at the top of this page.

It’s really easy to set up and only takes a few minutes – just answer a few security questions and you’ll be good to go. Then you can check your balance, see statements, load funds and update your details.

Alternatively, once you’ve set up your online account from your PC, you can access the main functions using the internet on your phone*. That’s your balance, your last three transactions, a mobile top up function and loading funds onto another OPTIMUM card. You will be taken to the main website where you can click on “LOGIN” and once past security you will be able to access the main functions.

* There is a £1 charge per call for calling a Customer Services Advisor

* There is a £1 charge per call for calling a Customer Services Advisor

If you’ve forgotten your username, password and/or memorable date please click on the ‘Forgotten password’ link on the Login page and follow the instructions. Once you’ve filled in all the relevant fields and clicked on ‘Submit’, you’ll be given a unique four digit activation code (please make note of this) and also an e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address which you’ve registered with us. Once you receive this e-mail, simply follow the steps described, so that you can log in. During the process, you will be required to enter the activation code that you’ve been given.

You can move cash from your OPTIMUM card to friends and family who also have an OPTIMUM card. All you have to do is set them up in the ‘Make a payment/Load another card’ section of your OPTIMUM online account. Then, when you want to send them funds, just select the relevant identifier, the amount you want to send them and confirm for the funds to be transferred. You can track all these transfers under the Payments section in your online account.

You can take out up to four additional cards (not available for cards with spending limits) – you’ll just need to verify the main cardholder. For example, you might want each member of your family to own a card. You might just want to have cards for different uses. It costs £5 for each additional card and your spending limit and balance will be shared across all cards on your account.

You can order additional cards through your online account once you’ve received your main card and created your OPTIMUM account online.

Just go into the ‘Change details’ section of your OPTIMUM online account, select the relevant section, make the changes and click on the “Update” button. To ensure you always have the best service from us, please make sure your details, including your mobile phone number, are up to date.

Please note – if you want to change your name or your address you will need to send us two documents, one item from list A and one from list B from the table. You can download the lists and further information here. You will then need to send them with a covering note, specifying that you want us to update your contact details to:

Although you have a 3 year expiry date on your card, you may not be able to use your card after 12 months from activating it. If you wish to carry on using our services you will need to upgrade your card by providing a few documents. One from list A and one from list B from the form here. Instructions on how to submit everything are in the form too.

Absolutely, you can use OPTIMUM card in over 36 million locations, in over 210 countries worldwide, wherever you see the Mastercard® Acceptance Mark, so long as you don’t have a restricted card. The charges for overseas transactions and cash withdrawals are:

Overseas card transaction: 2.75%
Overseas cash withdrawal: 5.70%*

* The cost of a cash withdrawal overseas is 2.95% (the UK fee) plus an additional 2.75%.

If your card is lost or stolen, call us immediately on 0203 130 4913*, and we’ll block others from using it. There are no charges for reporting your card lost or stolen. Alternatively go into the lost/stolen/damaged section in your OPTIMUM online account and complete the form. If you would like a replacement card, we’ll transfer your balance onto the new card and get that sent out to you within 7 to 10 working days. A charge of £5 for the replacement card will be debited from your balance, or when you next load.

* We’re available 8am – 7pm Monday to Friday, and 9am – 5pm Saturday.

* We’re available 8am – 7pm Monday to Friday, and 9am – 5pm Saturday.

If you cancel your card before activating it, or up to 14 days after the date of activation (during the Cancellation Period), we will refund your application fee, if applicable, and any available balance on your card.

There’s no charge for cancelling your card. However, if you cancel you card after the Cancellation Period, you will be charged a £5 redemption fee if you choose to redeem any money remaining on the card.

Just press the home button on your phone and you’ll be logged out of the app. You’ll also be automatically logged out if you leave it open for more than a few minutes. To keep your details safe, the app will ask for your passcode every time you return to it.

We are legally required to confirm your identity when we receive your application. As long as we can do this, you will receive a card that allows you use all the great stuff Optimum has to offer. If we are not able to fully confirm your identity, you may receive a card that still lets you shop everywhere in the UK, but which has limited functionality.

The Optimum Prepaid Mastercard® is issued by PrePay Technologies Limited pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. This card is an electronic money product. PrePay Technologies Ltd, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the issuance of electronic money (FRN 900010). Mastercard and the Mastercard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.